New drug cocktail aims to wipe out breast cancer before surgery

NCT ID NCT02326974

Ongoing Disease control Sponsor: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether giving two targeted drugs, T-DM1 and pertuzumab, before surgery can completely eliminate early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. About 164 participants with stage II or III disease will receive the drugs for 18 weeks, then undergo surgery. The main goal is to see how many have no cancer left at the time of surgery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: T-DM1 (Kadcyla) and pertuzumab (Perjeta)
What this could lead to: If successful, this combination could become a standard preoperative treatment, potentially increasing the chance of eliminating all cancer before surgery.
What could go wrong: This is a phase II trial with 164 participants, so results are still preliminary. The treatment may not work for everyone, especially those with mixed HER2 levels in their tumor.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for BREAST CANCER are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm HER2 positive breast carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

BREAST CANCER HER 2 POSITIVE BREAST CANCER STAGE II BREAST CANCER STAGE III BREAST CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
Tennessee Oncology/Sarah Cannon Research Institute

Nashville, Tennessee, 37203, United States
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.